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Grade:6 Unit: 1 Week: 5 Content: ELA Dates: 9/17-9/21/12

Theme: How are authors influenced by their life experiences?

Essential Questions:

How do I determine a work’s theme?
How can I improve my writing? by studying the works of authors and applying their techniques?

Focus Standards:

RL.6.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
RL.6.3 Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
RL.6.5 Analyze how a particular sentence fits into the structure of a text and contributes to the development of the theme, setting, and plot.
L.6.3a Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
L.6.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 6 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
RI.6.2 Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
RI.6.3 Analyze in detail how a key individual event or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text (e.g., through examples or anecdotes.).

Ongoing Standards:

W.6.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.
W.6.5 With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
W.6.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
W.6.9a Apply grade 6 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Compare and contrast texts in different forms or genres [e.g., stories and poems; historical novels and fantasy stories] in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics”).
RI.6.6 Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in the text.

Objectives:

TLW will use textual clues to determine a work’s theme.
TLW use context clues to determine the meaning of words and phrases in narrative pieces.
TLW improve writing by studying the works of authors and applying their techniques.
TLW apply effective techniques, description, and event sequences in an original narrative.
TLW be able to distinguish between a text’s theme versus its topic.

Assessment:
Project

Students will complete a graphic organizer that shows how details from “The Dog of Pompeii” contribute to its theme.
Students will write a paragraph describing a catastrophe, based on a model from the story “The Dog of Pompeii.”
Students will create a “theme statement” for “Nadia the Willful” and write a paragraph that expands on this statement using examples from the story.
Students will continue to work on the year-long video project by working in groups to choose a theme on which future planning will center.
Students will complete a theme-based group project on Island of the Blue Dolphins and take an exam over the work.
Students will write a three paragraph essay discussing the effect of point of view, setting, and characters on the theme of Island of the Blue Dolphins.

Key Questions (match Standard)

What is theme?
How do I determine a work’s theme?
How do I distinguish between a work’s theme and its topic?
How do I use literary devices and details to enhance my narrative writing?

Observable Student Behaviors (Performance)

Students will work in groups to determine a work’s theme.
Students will complete a graphic organizer.
Students will use a model to create a paragraph.

Vocabulary

ELA

Theme
Historical fiction

Suggested Activities [see Legend to highlight MCO and HYS]

Students will choose a theme for the year-long video project from suggestions submitted by each team.
Read the selection, “The Dog of Pompeii” by Louis Untermeyer [HMU3, pages 326-336] and follow standard discussion norms to review the importance to the story of plot, character, setting, point of view, and theme.
Using a paragraph from the text as a model (suggestion: paragraph 1, page 334), students will write a paragraph describing a catastrophe.
Read the selecton, “Nadia, the Willful” by Sue Alexander [HMU3, pages 350-356] and follow standard discussion norms to review conflict’s importance to a story’s theme.
Create a “theme statement” for “Nadia the Willful” and write a paragraph that uses details and conflicts from the story as support for the theme.
Group project on Island of the Blue Dolphins connecting theme to plot, characters, setting and point of view.

Homework

Terminology for Teachers

Lesson Plan in Word Format (Click Cancel if asked to Log In)

Resources
Professional Texts

Literary Texts

Holt McDougal Literature 6

Informational Texts

WebQuests

Island of the Blue Dolphins: Exploring the Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island

http://questgarden.com/16/89/3/060428052129/
This WebQuest is designed to give students background information on the setting for "Island of the Blue Dolphins" in order to promote deeper understanding of the novel. It aslo encourages higher level thinking skills.

Island of the Blue Dolphins

http://questgarden.com/102/63/7/100428135955/
Island of the Blue Dolphins is a great book that can be very interestig once you know every""thing about it's history.

"Island of the Blue Dolphins"

http://questgarden.com/51/98/1/070602122700/
This is, approximately, a three to four week unit that will integrate reading, writing and research based on the book "Island of the Blue Dolphins" by Scott O'Dell. My goal is to adhere to as many of the 4th Grade Sunshine State Standards for reading and writing as possible while offering an engaging long term lesson plan for students.

Stop the Presses: The Island of the Blue Dophins WebQuest

http://questgarden.com/42/06/8/061116080634/
Based off of The Island of the Blue Dolphins, this WebQuest gives students the opportunity to develop interviewing, researching, and writing skills through creating their own article to be published in a class newspaper

Art, Music, and Media

Manipulatives

Games

Videos

Sight Words

SMART Board Lessons, Promethean Lessons
Figurative language

Other Activities, etc.

Examining Island of the Blue Dolphins through a Literary Lens

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/examining-island-blue-dolphins-1068.html
In this lesson, students connect with Island of the Blue Dolphins by looking at the text through three literary lenses: a mirror that allows them to find themselves in the text world, a microscope through which to understand the text’s literary elements, and a telescope that helps them see beyond the text. Students first reflect on the meanings of courage and adversity through journal writing and skits. They then read the novel with a focus on Karana’s character, setting, and vocabulary. Next, students reflect on the story by imagining how they would have reacted in the same situations faced by Karana. After sharing journal responses, students look outwards to their community for people who have overcome adversity with courage, and brainstorm ways they could recognize these people. The lesson works well with English Language Learners (ELLs) and includes strategies for working with students at all levels of English proficiency.

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